


Brewery Tour

by jhoom



Category: Supernatural
Genre: M/M, Professor!Castiel, Strangers to Lovers, penpal au
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-09-09
Updated: 2016-09-09
Packaged: 2018-08-14 03:23:07
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,508
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7996801
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/jhoom/pseuds/jhoom
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>One cold January morning, Castiel receives a postcard from a stranger in the mail.  It spirals from there into a friendship and then into something more.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Brewery Tour

**Author's Note:**

> So I entered this in [destieldrabblesdaily](http://destieldrabblesdaily.tumblr.com)'s 30k fic contest and won 3rd place (I am honestly still in shock about this tbh). The word limit was 2500 (the -'s in the story make it look like I went over BUT I SWEAR I DIDN'T!!!). Let me just say I have never had to be more economical with my words before lol. Also thanks go to [destielonfire](http://destielonfire.tumblr.com) who helped me pick between three fic ideas when I was first planning on entering the contest. I owe you one ;)
> 
> This story is inspired by [this post](http://maybe-i-do-not-want-heaven.tumblr.com/post/135702750020/okay-but-imagine-your-otp) that I saw circulating on tumblr and couldn't get out of my head ^-^
> 
> Also apologies if the formatting for the postcards seems odd, but I wanted to visually show how their letters kept getting longer and longer, plus make it look more like an actual postcard (not something I can really do on the tumblr version without graphics, but I can definitely do it here). 
> 
> Last but not least, come visit me on [tumblr](http://jhoomwrites.tumblr.com) \- I am more than happy to talk destiel or beer or anything in between :)

It’s a frosty January morning when Castiel pulls his robe tight to go out and check his mail. He hastily grabs the contents and darts back inside before the chill can settle in his lungs. Briefly carding through it, there’s nothing of interest. Only junk mail, it seems, so he tosses it into the recycling.

A postcard, tucked in between a flyer and a large coupon book, slips free and flutters to the floor. Castiel barely gives it a second glance, reaching down to throw it in with the rest. However, something makes him stop to read it first. On one side is a picture of the Sam Adams Brewery, on the other is a brief note.

 _Hey,_  
I used to live in your  
house. I'm drunk in  
Boston, and it's the only  
address I know.  
Happy Holidays.  
\- DW

There’s something oddly sweet about the sentiment, so he decides to keep the card from this mystery DW. He pins it to his fridge, held in place (fittingly enough) by a magnetic bottle opener. And there it would have stayed, forgotten. Except that Castiel can’t stop thinking about the unknown sender. It nags at him until he gives in. Such a well-meaning message deserves to be answered, and he’s determined to do just that.

He finds himself stopping by his real estate agent’s office, bringing a cup of coffee as a peace offering for disrupting her busy day. Without preamble, he asks for the forwarding address of the previous owner.

“Why would you want that?” Becky asks between sips of coffee.

“Uhm… I’ve been getting some of their mail and just wanted to make sure everything gets to their intended recipient.”

“Oh, of course.” She flips through a folder until she finds a pink post-it.

 _DW_  
1215 Baker Street  
Lawrence, KS

The handwriting matches, as do the initials.

He thanks Becky for her help and heads back home. Digging through some un-packed boxes, he manages to find a spare postcard. A souvenir from a visit to an apiary, bees dart around the glossy front. Clearing a section of his desk, he sets to writing.

 _Dear DW,_  
Thank you for the holiday  
wishes. I appreciated  
them. Hope your trip to  
Boston was eventful and  
the brewery to your  
liking (they make a mean  
Oktoberfest).  
\- CN

After he drops it off at the post office, he thinks no more of it. It’s not until a few weeks later that he receives another postcard in the mail, this time from Leinenkugel Brewery.

 _CN,_  
The Oktoberfest wasn't bad  
but I'm more of a Boston  
Lager kind of guy. You  
should check out this  
place's Honey Weiss (if  
you're into that sort of  
thing). Happy to spread  
the holiday cheer.  
\- DW  
P.S. You better be taking  
care of my house.  


He reads and re-reads the card, warmed to his core that the man would continue writing him. It’s his first penpal, though he’s always wanted one. He places it next to the first card and begins planning out his reply.

That weekend, his brother visits with his wife and niece. They go to a petting zoo and while no one’s looking, Castiel sneaks off to the gift shop to buy a postcard featuring two goats on a seesaw.

 _Dear DW,_  
I'm open to any type of beer. But  
you should be careful sending  
holiday cheer to strangers - soon  
I'll come to expect a card from you  
every holiday and then you'll be  
forced to visit more breweries just  
to meet my needs.  
\- CN  
P.S. I am indeed taking good care  
of MY home (I do believe you  
rescinded all rights to scold me  
about its upkeep when you sold it).  


After he finishes writing, he hesitates before placing the stamp. This message is twice as long as the first, but in the end he shrugs and sends it anyway. DW’s second message was longer, too, so there’s no need to be shy.

Each time he finds his mailbox empty, the sting of disappointment grows. That is, until March brings a new postcard from Deep Ellum Brewery. The front features a racy silhouette of a woman with the slogan “Dallas Blonde: Goes Down Easy.”

 _CN,_  
Well now I've gone and done it, sending you a  
card right around St. Patty's Day. Guess I'm on  
the hook for a couple more holidays.  
You should try and get some of these Dallas beers.  
There are like a million breweries here and they  
all rock... though probably hard to get them all  
the way on the east coast.  
\- Dean W  
P.S. Was my house first, I got a right to be  
concerned. Wanna know she's being taken care of  
is all.  
P.P.S. You wouldn't happen to be blonde would you? ;)  


Castiel makes a point of visiting all the local farms over the next few weeks, just to collect postcards.

 _Hello Dean,_  
You certainly seem to travel a lot - as far as I can tell,  
you've been in three different states in the past few  
months. Is it for work? Sorry if that's too personal,  
feel free to not answer.  
Alas, the local liquor stores don't have anything that  
exotic. I'm lucky to find something besides Miller and  
Natty Boh. Not that I don't mind them every now and  
then, but I would like some variety.  
\- Castiel N  
P.S. Well now it's MY first house. And she's in good  
hands. I've already managed to replace the gutters with  
minimal damage to anything but my pride.  
P.P.S. I am not, though I do "go down easy" - three  
drinks and I'm out like a light.  


He’d be lying if he didn’t say he looked forward to checking his mail each day, all in the hopes from hearing from Dean.

The next one he receives is from 21st Amendment Brewery in California. When he flips the card, he can’t help the grin that breaks out when he sees how much Dean’s managed to jam onto the back. His neat handwriting is crammed into nearly every available free spot. It’s gratifying to see proof that he’s not the only interested party here.

 _Cas,_  
First - go to The Perfect Pour. It's worth the drive  
because it's an *amazing* liquor store. They do friggin  
growlers man. GROWLERS.  
Okay, not to get into too many details but... I used to work  
this govt desk job in DC and it was soul-cripplingly dull.  
But I dealt with it b/c I had a house and friends and all  
that. But then my most recent boyfriend broke up with me  
and it was kinda the last straw. So I quit my job, sold my  
house, stored my stuff at my mom's place and decided to do  
some traveling to "find myself" as my brother calls it.  
Whatever. So what about you? What brings a guy (girl?) like  
you to suburban MD?  
\- Dean  
P.S. Sorry about that, never got around to fixing it.  
Hopefully there wasn't any damage to the house that made you  
wanna change them out??? Also I gotta hear the story about  
you fixing them if it resulted in wounded pride.  
P.P.S. Dude you have no idea how much I laughed because that  
is NOT what they mean by "go down easy."  


Instead of making himself dinner, Cas grabs a postcard of a horse ranch and writes back.

 _Dean,_  
Sorry to hear about your boyfriend and job woes. So many people are  
in similar positions, so I admire that you had the courage to actually  
make a change for yourself. I'm glad you're enjoying (I assume) your  
travels across the country. Are you flying from place to place? Have  
you planned out your travels ahead of time?  
As to what brings a guy like me to MD... I recently got a teaching  
position at a local university, working to build their archaeology  
program.  
\- Castiel  
P.S. No damage. It was merely an issue since a family of squirrels  
was living in one section of the gutters. And I would prefer not to  
give the details of my utterly embarrassing attempt to replace them  
myself before I gave up and called a professional.  
P.P.S. My brother has informed me that I did indeed misconstrue  
the meaning of "go down easy" in this context.  


Castiel will claim his heart does _not_ skip a beat when he sees the next postcard is from Dogfish Head, only a state away.

(It does.)

 _Cas,_  
I am most definitely NOT flying and I do NOT have a plan. I pick a  
direction and drive til I get somewhere I like. Then I head back to my  
mom's for a week to help around the house and recover from my brewery  
tour induced binge drinking (and get my latest postcard from you). I've  
always been a road trip kind of guy.  
Actually that reminds me - what's up with the farm postcards? Not that I  
mind or anything, just curious.  
A professor, huh? You wear sweater vests and tweed jackets? Tie and  
glasses? Bet you look hot like that, distracting all those  
impressionable young college kids.  
\- Dean  
P.S. Please tell me you got pictures of the squirrel family.  
P.P.S. You talk to your brother about me?  


He raises an eyebrow and re-reads the part about his job five times, his brain unable to believe what Dean’s hinting at.

 _Dean,_  
I've always enjoyed flying - seeing things from above makes everything I've  
left behind seem more manageable. I'm also not a huge fan of road trips.  
When we went on them as a family, my brother was a pain (he still is but at  
least I'm not stuck in close quarters with him). At least on a plane there's  
the distraction of in flight entertainment.  
My brother's actually to blame for the farm postcards as well. Indirectly,  
at least. When he visited recently, I took my niece to a petting zoo. Since  
you've kept up the brewery theme, it seemed my civic duty to do the same. I  
am surprised by how many local farms there are, and how excited they are to  
have visitors. The farmers markets are also quite excellent.  
I do wear sweater vests and ties, but I prefer a trench coat and do not wear  
glasses. Also, was that a flirtation?  
\- Castiel  
P.S. I did.  
P.S.S. I do.  


Brooklynn Brewery arrives next. This time he decides to savor the card, first going to the store Dean suggested and buying a six pack of beer Brooklyn Lager. Then when he gets home he snuggles up in his armchair, cracks open a bottle, and reads.

 _Cas,_  
Flying is terrifying and stressful and god awful and now I'm questioning  
everything I know about you if you'd rather fly ABOVE the cities instead of  
drive THROUGH them and see them first hand. Trust me, road trips are way  
better. Maybe you just need better company.  
I got a nephew, but he's still kinda young for petting zoos. He's more of  
a truck and train engine kind of kid anyway.  
I never went to the farmers markets, but all the local restaurants were all  
about listing the farms they partnered with.  
Was it a flirtation? Kind of depends on if you wanted it to be. I'll let you  
decide that one ;)  
\- Dean  
P.S. Someday you'll have to show me.  
P.P.S. What'd you tell him??  


He might have been able to deny it last time, but this time his heart rate definitely increases as he reads. And it’s only because he’s feeling bold (and is maybe a little buzzed) that he writes what he does.

 _Dean,_  
Perhaps I'd be willing to re-evaluate my dislike  
of road trips, should I ever find the right  
company. If you're ever up for it, you know  
where to find me.  
So I suppose that's where I stand. It was most  
definitely a flirtation.  
\- Castiel  
P.S. I will  
P.P.S. Come find out  


Short and to the point, or so he hopes. Now all he has to do is wait for Dean’s reply.

Weeks pass, then months. Anxiety gives way to disappointment, and Castiel beats himself up for being so forward and overstepping the bounds of their relationship. Perhaps Dean’s just the type to casually flirt, who meant nothing of it and now finds it too awkward to keep up the pretense of friendship.

He’s long given up all hope of receiving a reply when he opens his mailbox on a warm August afternoon. Inside, pressed between his water bill and a reminder for his next dental appointment, is a small postcard from Manor Hill Brewery. Castiel frowns, familiar with the brewery in question as it’s only a half hour drive from his home. Assuming it’s an ad, he leaves it, ignored, on his kitchen counter as he starts preparing lunch.

Then it clicks in his head.

Brewery.

Postcard.

 _Dean_.

Snatching up the card, he flips it over.

 _Cas,_  
Sorry for the wait. Had to build up  
the nerve. I'm sending this out on  
Wednesday, postman said you'd get it  
Friday. I'll be at Manor Hill til 6  
if you wanna meet up. No pressure if  
you don't though.  
\- Dean

Forget his heart skipping a beat, he’s pretty sure he’s in cardiac arrest. His brain slowly starts back up and he realizes that it is in fact Friday. He checks the postmark to be sure the dates line up, then glances at his watch. 5:15. He can make it.

Traffic conspires to try and keep that from happening and he doesn’t arrive until 6:05. But surely Dean would wait…?

He’s panting and breaking out in a nervous sweat as he scans the bar. Everyone’s mostly congregated in groups, but at the end of the bar he sees a man throwing some cash down before chugging the last third of his beer. He’s the only one alone, so Castiel walks over.

When he’s closer, he finally gets a good look at the man, and he’s _gorgeous_. Dirty blonde hair, tan skin splashed with freckles, and a build that makes Castiel’s mouth go dry. Surely, this couldn’t be-

“Dean?” he asks, voice husky and raw from anticipation.

The man perks up and turns, green eyes catching his own. In that moment, something passes between them. Somehow, beyond all reason, he recognizes the man before him. This, without a doubt, is Dean.

“Holy crap, Cas, you never said you were hot.”

Castiel can’t help the blush that spreads across his cheeks, but it’s the least of his worries. Because now that he’s officially met Dean in person, there’s no going back. That little voice that used to whisper he was falling for his penpal is now blaring loudly.

“So,” and Dean pulls out the stool next to him. “Can I buy you a drink?”

On their honeymoon, they do a cross country brewery tour. It lasts three months and is the best road trip either of them has ever taken.

**Author's Note:**

>  **Breweries Visited and Months Postcards Were Received:**  
>  January - Sam Adams  
> Feb - Leinenkugel  
> March - Deep Ellum  
> April - 21st Amendment Brewery  
> May - Dogfish Head  
> June - nothing :(  
> July - Brooklynn Brewery  
> August - Manor Hill
> 
> All of these are breweries that exist and I have personally been on a tour at Sam Adams, Brooklynn Brewery, Deep Ellum and Manor Hill. Most of these places (from what I've seen anyway) do **not** sell postcards, but oh well. I live in MD so that's why I made the fic take place here - I know the area and could use an actual local brewery AND an awesome local liquor store.


End file.
